Chapter 55: Colleagues

Zheng Xi is very satisfied with Zhu Ying!

Due to some deviations from the initial expectations with Zhu Ying and encountering deputies like Pei Qing and Leng Yun, Zheng Xi had to adjust his original plans accordingly.

No matter the changes, having a subordinate who is willing to work and listen to his correct arrangements is always pleasing.

Zheng Xi said, “Don’t get too happy too soon! These twenty days might be your last moments of leisure for the year!”

Zhu Ying laughed, she didn’t believe it! Could the days of being an official be worse than her past hardships and toils? Impossible!

Zheng Xi continued, “Though the case of substituting death row prisoners is closed, the matter isn’t resolved. The Emperor wants a retrospective investigation of the past ten years. All cases from the last decade need to be reviewed. Calculate for yourself, how much time will that take? They’ve been working for months, yet progress is limited.”

Zhu Ying asked, “How can there still be people daring to slack off under your command?”

Zheng Xi sighed, some things were not easy to discuss with Zhu Ying. The case related to Shen Ying and Lady Feng, which involved a major succession dispute from twenty years ago, is now being handled by the Dali Temple. The Emperor demands a thorough investigation without a set deadline but frequently inquires about it, showing even more concern than the "retrospective investigation of the past ten years."

He said, “Do you think the world’s criminals will wait for you to finish investigating those old cases before committing new ones?”

Unable to hold back, Zhu Ying laughed, prompting Zheng Xi to ask, “What’s so funny?”

Zhu Ying said, "It reminds me of the year I messed with the Buddha beans."

"What?"

"There was this young nun, constantly beaten by her master, forced to wash clothes in the dead of winter. I helped her get revenge. Her master used to pick Buddha beans, chanting and bowing before each transfer from one basket to another. I waited until she had picked half a basket, then sneakily moved a handful back to the unpicked pile, making her bow several more times. Who isn’t a nun in their past life? But she ended up looking like a sly, bald thief..."

Zheng Xi cursed with laughter, "You little rascal, think I’m an old nun? Off you go, off you go. You’ll only get promoted if you do well. And if you don’t, just wait for it!"

"You’d better wait and see how I work!"

Zhu Ying was satisfied with Zheng Xi’s promise; she enjoyed doing gratifying work. Like Left Evaluator, handling the workload of two or even three was no issue for her. She felt no guilt towards Left Evaluator, despite Zheng Xi suggesting to lay low for a month to test the waters at Dali Temple. Left Evaluator and others wanted Zhu Ying to review all the old archives, saying there was no rush.

But the old timers’ real intention was "to temper the newcomer’s spirit, to blend in without making waves." Otherwise, they would have directed Zhu Ying to focus on reviewing the archives of the past ten years for retrials, indicating which had been reviewed and which were pending, instead of letting her roam the storeroom at will.

The next day, Zhu Ying was back at Dali Temple, still "reading stories" and casually checked the night duty roster; she was scheduled for the fourth day.

On the fourth day, Zhu Ying brought her luggage to Dali Temple. The guards, already accustomed to such sights, inspected her baggage, found no prohibited items, and allowed her through.

That day, after dinner, Zhu Ying didn’t head to bed early. Taking advantage of her night duty, she wandered to Dali Temple's prison with a lantern.

Dali Temple’s prison was managed by four designated prison wardens, with several jailers under each. The wardens' and jailers' shifts weren’t included in Dali Temple’s regular night duties. Other Dali Temple officials took turns doing night duty once a month, but with only four wardens rotating, they were the lowest-ranked officials, tasked with the most laborious and tiresome duties within Dali Temple’s "official" duties.

Starting from the ninth rank downwards, positions are usually filled by individuals who enter the civil service from outside the formal exam system. If Zhu Ying had started as a minor official at the Dali Temple, doing well could have led to a promotion to a position similar to that of a prison warden. With hard work, she might reach the sixth rank by her fifties, similar to Jin Liang's current status. If mediocre, she might never touch the seventh rank in her lifetime.

However, having Zheng Xi's support changes things. With good performance, her promotion speed could match Jin Liang's, but her "unconventional" background would significantly limit her career path. Stories of someone rising from a minor official to a high-ranking position are noteworthy because most minor officials end up spending their days in low-level positions. Being able to study and take the Ming Law exam is something she owes to Zheng Xi.

Zhu Ying sighed and said to the night-duty prison warden, "I'm on night duty today, just came to check."

The warden bowed and said, "This way, please."

Zhu Ying paused for a moment: "Oh."

The warden, in his forties and promoted from a jailer, has only held the ninth-rank position for a few months and is very diligent. He led the way, quietly assuring that everything here is regulated to prevent "fatal incidents."

Standing in the prison, Zhu Ying immediately sensed that Dali Temple's prison is indeed a high-class facility—it even seems cleaner and more orderly than the Capital Prison!

Dali Temple's prison is divided into male and female sections, with prohibitions against bringing in paper, sharp objects, or money. Aside from the major criminals awaiting retrial, it also holds a significant number of officials and noblewomen who, according to their rank, are allowed to bathe.

It's relatively clean, but packed to the brim.

The warden whispered, "These are asleep; best not to disturb them. Some cases involve people just detained for a few days, uncertain when they might be released."

Pointing to some cells, he added, "No worries here; their lives are beyond hope, just waiting for the verdict—whether it be poisoned wine or silk noose."

Zhu Ying noted that some prisoners were not in uniform, while others were fully clad in prison garb.

Observing a solitary cell, where the occupant also wore prison attire but seemed to be in a more privileged position based on the cell's location, size, and door, she inquired, "Who is he?"

The prison warden introduced her to the "personages" detained there, with the most significant case being that of "Minister Gong, Gong Jie."

Still unfamiliar with the cases of the Dali Temple, and with twenty days already four days gone, leaving sixteen remaining, she expressed a need to quickly understand these matters, requesting, "Do you have a roster? Let me see it."

Upon receiving the roster from the warden, Zhu Ying thought it a valuable resource worth checking regularly. As she perused it, the warden explained, "Minister Gong once falsely accused Minister Feng of colluding with Prince An, who attempted a palace coup twenty years ago. How could His Majesty spare Minister Feng? Twenty years later, due to another case, a memorial by Minister Feng proving his loyalty to His Majesty was discovered. The Emperor became vigilant and sought to question Gong Jie's crimes. Over these twenty years, despite receiving immense grace, he failed to show gratitude, engaged in factionalism, bribery, and treated a concubine as his wife..."

Zhu Ying interrupted, "Wait, what's with that last bit thrown in? How does that compare to the other accusations?"

The warden sighed, "That concubine, revered as a lady by the entire court for twenty years and often seen by His Majesty, became notorious overnight when her husband fell from grace. She's a formidable woman, now in the female prison. Would you like to see her?"

"Yes," replied Zhu Ying.

They then visited the female prison.

The female prison housed fewer inmates than the male prison. The warden pointed out one cell, saying, "There, that's Mrs. Gong. She can still be called a lady for now, but once sentenced, her imperial command will surely be revoked."

Examining another roster in the warden's hand with the name "Zhan Guixiang," likely her real name, Zhu Ying noted the woman's prison garb and slightly dirtied face under the dim light. Despite her cold demeanor, traces of her youthful beauty remained, leaving Zhu Ying to wonder about her thoughts.

Zhu Ying reflected, "It's because of you, Hua Jie's family was ruined..."

The warden whispered, "Twenty years of glory and wealth, well worth it. Thanks to His Majesty's enlightened judgement, such people no longer wield power."

Zhu Ying mused, "His Majesty is no saint either, failing to recognize a traitor right before him for twenty years. Is he blind? Hmph!"

…………——

After touring the Dali Temple prison, Zhu Ying returned to her duty post, made her bed, and two junior officers brought her hot water.

"You can rest now; don't worry about me. I'll sit up a while longer," Zhu Ying told them.

The junior officers respectfully left.

Reflecting on the day's observations, Zhu Ying took the night duty keys, lit a lamp, and searched through the case file archive managed by Elder Fang, sifting through old records until almost the third watch of the night. She then locked up, washed with the now-cooled water, and went to bed.

She slept without dreaming.

The next day, as dawn barely broke, the outside noise grew loud — the ministers were heading to court, and the Emperor was preparing to rise, stirring the entire Imperial and Forbidden Cities to activity.

Zhu Ying quickly got dressed, made her bed, and had just finished combing her hair when a junior officer knocked, asking, "Madam, it's time to rise. Shall we bring in hot water?"

They rose even earlier.

Opening the door, Zhu Ying said, "Bring it in."

While washing her face, she suddenly asked, "Do you get to rest a day after night duty?"

"Sometimes we do, but other times we don't rest. There's a lot to do in the office now," replied the junior officers.

"Ah, right, no one mentioned this to me. Ah, Dali Temple is really something..."

She had planned to stroll around the streets, but after hearing the junior officers, decided not to go home and rest. Originally, as Zheng Xi was the head of Dali Temple, she didn't need to prove her loyalty by foregoing rest days, especially now with the workload increasing, giving Pei Qing no reason to complain and spare Zheng Xi any embarrassment.

Why bother?

Zhu Ying spent another day "lying low," throwing dice to pick old cases for review. With the Emperor ordering a ten-year case review, some already re-examined cases had tags. Zhu Ying focused on cases reviewed by different people at different times, noting any discrepancies in judgments. For cases with varied sentences, Zheng Xi, Pei Qing, and others would make the final call, based on what rationale she observed.

After spending the entire day reviewing cases, she carried her bedding roll back home.

Zhang Xianjin eagerly met her on the main street, reaching out to take her bedding. Zhu Ying insisted, "I can carry it; it's not heavy."

"But it's such a long way!" exclaimed Zhang Xianjin.

Their rented home was further south, not daring to compare with Zheng's residence, let alone Jin Liang's. Zhu Ying's morning commute to Dali Temple inside the Imperial City took half an hour. Zhang Xianjin was heartbroken seeing her carry the bedding back and forth for such distances, remarking, "Why must you still trudge around like fleeing disaster now that you're an official?"

"Could fleeing disaster come with such nice bedding? Why come so far to meet me?" Zhu Ying joked.

"Ah, you had to sleep alone during your night duty?" asked Zhang Xianjin.

"It's Dali Temple, and I'm an official there; I had a room to myself," Zhu Ying assured.

Relieved, Zhang Xianjin urged, "Let's get back! Dinner is ready! There's stir-fried chicken and also half a roasted chicken. I've learned how to stew pig's trotters from your sister-in-law Jin; try it when we get back. Next time you're on night duty, I'll pack some tasty treats for you. You're still growing; you need to eat well!"

Zhang Xianjin's cooking might not be the best, but Zhu Ying, accustomed to it, smiled and agreed.

"When's your next night duty? What would you like to eat?" Zhang Xianjin inquired.

"It's a bit away, not till next month," Zhu Ying replied.

Returning home, Zhu Da took the bedding, and Zhang Xianjin said, "Let's keep it in our room for now; I'll air it out tomorrow before storing it."

The family enjoyed their meal, and seeing Zhang Xianjin willing to cook an extra egg this time, Zhu Ying remarked, "That's more like it."

Zhu Da said, "I said the same—"

Zhang Xianjin retorted, "It's just you two who talk too much! Eat quickly and go to bed early!"

Without arguing, Zhu Ying finished her meal. While Zhang Xianjin washed the dishes, Zhu Ying lit a lamp to practice calligraphy, enjoying a leisurely day.

The next day, Zhang Xianjin woke up early again and prepared breakfast. Before Zhu Ying left for Dali Temple, Zhang said, "Wait. Didn’t you want to eat flatbread last time? I made some with meat filling. Take two with you. Wouldn’t you be hungry after traveling for an hour this early in the morning?"

Wrapping the bread in a blue cloth, she placed them in a small bamboo basket, advising Zhu Ying to eat them at the office, perhaps reheated on a stove or, if not available, simply with some warm tea or water.

Zhu Ying, holding the basket, appreciated it, saying, "Dad’s craft has improved."

Zhu Da boasted, "Nonsense, how could my craft not be good?"

Despite his skills not being great, Zhu Ying didn’t tease him but suggested, "Make a bigger one next time, in case we need it for something else."

Zhu Da replied gruffly, "Do I need you to tell me? I’m planning to make several large baskets!"

Zhu Ying left with the meat pies.

…………

At the imperial city, the guard questioned her about carrying food, asking, "Any contraband?"

Zhu Ying responded, "It’s just for me. Or I could just eat it here. Got water? I need a drink."

The guard rolled his eyes at the minor official and gestured, "Go on in!"

Arriving at Dali Temple with her meat pies, she found everyone at the morning court session. Taking her seat, the clerks promptly offered her hot tea. Zhu Ying thanked them and began to eat her meat pies.

After finishing the two pies, she felt slightly guilty about eating alone... but what else could she do?

Left Judge inquired, "Do you live far away and didn’t have time for breakfast? Bought something to bring?"

Zhu Ying replied, "I ate at home, but my mother was worried I’d get hungry, so she insisted I bring something to snack on."

Left Judge said, "A parent’s love knows no bounds. However, your mother doesn’t need to get up so early every day! She’s worked hard all her life; there’s no need for such efforts in the capital. Let me tell you, don’t rush towards Zhuque Street right from your home. If you walk three streets over, right across from Wannian County, there’s a fantastic breakfast spot that serves excellent flatbread for just a few coins!"

He could tell the pies Zhu Ying had weren’t very aromatic, indicating the cooking wasn’t particularly skilled.

Speaking of eating, Old Wang, another judge, chimed in, "Also, if you split the map of the capital in half, directly opposite that spot, there’s a place that sells soup and flatbread in the morning that’s quite good too!"

All eight judges gathered around, and with seven men and seven mouths, they all shared their favorite breakfast spots. Some recommended lamb soup, others wontons, baozi, porridge, and even fried cakes…

As Zhu Ying finished her two meat pies amidst their food talk, she spread her hands and said, "Got it, I’ll remember that." She thought of buying some to let her parents try, but from her experience, she suspected Zhang Xianjin would likely prefer not to spend money on breakfast and opt to make it herself.

Left Judge was pleased, "Ah, that’s the spirit! Just remember, avoid those little street stalls; they’re not particular about their ingredients!"

The judges all nodded in agreement.

Old Wang then noted, "Ah, the court session is over."

The crowd dispersed, and Zhu Ying, after wiping her mouth and rinsing it, prepared to fetch today’s collection of “stories”—just another day like all the others.

As she approached with a stack of “stories,” she noticed an additional presence in the room. Without an introduction, she simply stood aside and listened. The newcomer, clearly well-informed and donning the attire of an eighth-rank official with a smear of a black beard and rolled-up sleeves, was saying, “It was tragic! Just for eating a beef pastry by the roadside! And to think that got him impeached! Such an uproar at court!”

Zhu Ying’s eyes widened in disbelief. A roadside beef pastry led to impeachment? None of the numerous laws she memorized mentioned anything of the sort!

After sharing the gossip, the bearded man turned and saw her, “Who’s this?”

Left Judge introduced her, and the bearded man remarked, “Ah, a promising youth! Take it easy, you’ll get the hang of things over time. It’s all the same!”

Left Judge then said, “This is the Assistant Statute Officer from the Ministry of Rites, Yang Liu.”

After exchanging greetings with Yang Liu, Zhu Ying inquired, “Are the censors really that strict?” She was skeptical; if they were, how could Zhou You act so brazenly?

Both Yang Liu and Left Judge laughed, “Strict, yes, but it also depends on the person and the timing!”

Like any other office, the Censorate had its mix of the good and the bad, the ambitious and the indolent. The one caught eating beef pastry just had the misfortune of running into a more stringent censor and got impeached. However, Old Wang had a different theory: “Perhaps it was due to a confrontation the day before…”

Yang Liu coughed, “I must be off!” and hurried away like a puff of smoke.

Zhu Ying then asked Left Judge, “If I’m seen carrying my bedding roll home, would they impeach me for that?”

Left Judge exclaimed, "What? You’ve been doing this? Oh dear, I hope no one saw you?"

Old Wang advised, "Don't panic, if there's no complaint, then there's no problem. If anyone tries to make an issue out of this again, demand they provide evidence! Zhu Ying, just move your bedding to the duty room. We'll clear out a cabinet for you to store it in. When needed, just pull it out."

They arranged everything for Zhu Ying, who was hearing many of these suggestions for the first time, thinking to herself: don't worry, I can handle this.

Left Judge assured her, "Usually, it's not a problem as long as you're not seen. Just be extra cautious during certain times, like when Lan Tai gets a new head official—those are times to tighten up. Also, our Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice are under scrutiny, so we need to be careful. These are all matters of 'losing official dignity.' Those laws you've memorized, of course, don’t cover this."

After much discussion, Left Judge concluded, "Why bother doing it yourself? Just have your servant carry it for you."

Zhu Ying responded, "I don't have a servant."

Everyone was surprised: "Haven’t got around to it yet? You should hurry up and get someone. If not, can we help you find one? It won't cost much..."

Zhu Ying spread her hands, "I don't have money."

Her family didn’t have much left, needing to save for next year's rent, this year’s social obligations, next month's food, and she hoped to save a bit extra for emergencies and to eventually buy a house. The significant amount she had was a gold ingot from Chancellor Chen, and the rest was just small change.

Being in jail was hard on both the person and their finances.

Her seniors remarked, "How can that be? Do you have other expenses? Look at us, we support a whole family and still afford a servant and a maid to tend the fire."

After much discussion, they realized Zhu Ying hadn’t yet received her salary!

Left Judge said, "You child, always here so quietly, why didn't you say anything? Hurry up and claim it! Let me tell you, you need to go to the Taicang Bureau to claim it. Hmm, your name is already on the list. Like us, we claim it in the early month, but there are others who claim in the middle or the end of the month. Don't bother with the old system from the Taizu's years; after decades, it's all changed—increased a bit. Our official rank is low, not so meticulous, the likes of lords, Zheng Daoren, what they claim is different from us, we don't need to worry about that. You just need to know, you have money every month, grain every year, bonuses during festivals, and even cloth for clothes!"

According to Left Judge, Zhu Ying's salary, including various allowances, actually amounts to five guan a month, similar to a prison guard in Jingzhao. The real difference comes later, as she could also get eighty stones of rice a year, which are the major portions. Additionally, she would get two bolts of fabric annually for new clothes. Seasonal changes, like summer, come with heat relief subsidies, sometimes in kind, sometimes converted to money. Plus, her daily meal at the Dali Temple is also decent.

Zhu Ying thought to herself, eighty stones of rice! Claimed all at once? My home doesn't have a rice storage! I need to tidy up the house first, and then...

Wait!

She remembered, Jin's mansion didn't seem to have such a large rice storage either! I'll ask my sister-in-law.

After thanking Left Judge for his advice, Old Wang added, "After claiming it, get a servant, stop wandering the streets yourself. Wait until you're summoned; you see, when our superiors are upset, it becomes uncomfortable for us."

Zhu Ying agreed, "Okay."

Left Judge further advised, "Take a leave tomorrow, no, do it today! Better sooner than later, the superiors will surely approve this leave!"

Zhu Ying had to return the case files she had just borrowed and then went to seek leave from Zheng Xi.

…………

Zheng Xi chuckled upon seeing her, "What? Coming to me for leave?"

This child has always acted so mature, managing things so thoroughly, first forgetting to claim her salary and now directly seeking leave from me!

Laughing uncontrollably, he said, "You've got today too! Hahaha! Who comes directly to the chief for leave? What rank are you? What rank am I? Got tricked, didn't you? Coming to me overstepping your rank, aren't you afraid of offending your superiors? Hahaha! Oh dear, in this officialdom, 'overstepping' is the biggest taboo, got it?"

Zhu Ying couldn't comprehend why Zheng Xi, such a dignified person, could laugh so hard over such a trivial matter. She asked suspiciously, "Aren't you Zheng Daoren's twin brother? How come you don't resemble him at all? You're so frivolous!"

"Pfft! Hahahaha!" Hearing Zheng Xi's laughter attracted Leng Yun over to see what the fuss was about, and he unexpectedly burst into laughter upon hearing Zhu Ying's comment.

Seeing Leng Yun, Zheng Xi immediately switched from "Zheng Daoren's twin brother" back to "Zheng Daoren himself," and said, "Granted, you've also pulled a night shift, right? Including that, I'll give you two days off. Your household needs are important. Lu Chao is outside; ask him to assist you."

Leng Yun looked at Zhu Ying with a bit of surprise, wondering to himself: Could this be Zheng Qi's favorite, a pampered young servant?

Zhu Ying's ears twitched, and she kept her distance from Leng Yun as she left, thinking: There's something off about this Leng Shaoqing; I need to be cautious around him!

She then informed Left Judge, "I've been granted two days off, for today and tomorrow. I'll head back to collect my salary and rice."

"Off you go, then," they all said.

Zhu Ying left the imperial city and found Lu Chao outside, conveying Zheng Xi's instructions. Lu Chao said, "You haven't claimed it yet? Well, it makes sense; you haven't been officially appointed yet, so they wouldn't know how much to give you! No worries, let's hire a cart, and then we can go claim it."

Zhu Ying replied, "No rush. Accompany me to Brother Jin's house first; I need to ask Sister-in-law Jin something."

As they walked, Lu Chao said, "What do you need to ask Sister-in-law Jin? Brother Jin isn't home. You, a young man, shouldn't visit their home too often!"

Zhu Ying responded, "Lu Er Ge, although you run gambling houses, cheat, and often speak nonsense, you do have your reliable moments."

Lu Chao waved his arms frantically, "Shut it, shut it, shut it! What cheating? Don't talk about that!"

The two, now acquaintances, joked and laughed their way to Sister-in-law Jin's place.

Sister-in-law Jin asked in surprise, "You two? Shouldn't you be diligently serving? What brings you here?"

Zhu Ying explained, "I just found out I haven't claimed my salary yet. Zheng Daoren asked Lu Er Ge to help me, but I thought I'd better ask Sister-in-law Jin for advice first."

"Go ahead."

"About the money, it's not much; either I'll take it home or exchange it, no big deal. But the rice seems a bit too much! Claiming it all at once, my family of three, even if we eat a lot, can't finish it within a year, and we don't have the space to store it."

Sister-in-law Jin and Lu Chao both laughed: "Who said you have to bring it all back at once? They don't even store it all at once in such large quantities!"

Sister-in-law Jin explained, "It's the same at the Granary Office. They treat people differently. If you're new and without backing, they tend to give you old rice from three to five years ago. That rice might fill you up but lacks flavor. Take it home, store it for another year, and by the year's end, you're eating rice that's six years old? If not stored properly, it'll all go moldy!"

"Does nobody store rice?"

Sister-in-law Jin decided to explain everything: "This is common knowledge among officials in the capital. I thought you knew all this, my oversight; you're new here. Since you don't yet own land or property, you naturally don't have any rent income. Those who own land, like our family with dozens of acres outside, get new rice every autumn. The official rice we claim is taken to a rice shop to be exchanged. Eighty bushels of old rice might get you about sixty to seventy bushels of good quality, which is considered decent. When our own stock runs out, we go to the rice shop for fresh rice. Some sell the rice directly, which gets underpriced."

Sister-in-law Jin also reminded Zhu Ying, "Items distributed by the government are often like this. Plus, rice shops mark up the price of the old rice they collect. Rice is graded into superior and inferior qualities, with corresponding prices. Some even sell their allotment of new but inferior rice to buy better quality. The inferior rice is often sold to small eateries, where it's used for rice cakes or boiled into a thick porridge and sold..."

After explaining all this, Sister-in-law Jin asked, "Understand now?"

"Yes."

"If there's anything about life in the capital you're unsure about, just come and ask me. I'm just idling at home, squabbling with A Biao."

Lu Chao chuckled, prompting Sister-in-law Jin to slap him playfully: "And you, no leading A Biao into mischief!"

Now aware of how things worked, Zhu Ying inquired if Sister-in-law Jin knew any good places to exchange rice. Sister-in-law Jin replied, "I might as well go with you."

Zhu Ying suggested, "Then let's bring my parents along. They're anxious staying at home all the time, and they don't have anyone to talk to."

Sister-in-law Jin agreed, "Right, these tasks should be your mother's responsibility. Once you're married, your wife can learn the household chores. You shouldn't be doing this."

So, Lu Chao hires a carriage, and Mrs. Jin and Zhu Ying first go to pick up Zhang Xianjun and Zhu Da. The latter two, worried about their dwindling household funds, are elated to hear about collecting money and grain. Zhang Xianjun even fusses with her hair in preparation, and Zhu Da washes his hands.

On the way, Mrs. Jin imparts some knowledge of life in the capital to Zhang Xianjun, who listens attentively, concluding that they don't need a manservant or a maid; it's quite a relief to save on two extra mouths to feed.

Mrs. Jin introduces them to a familiar rice shop, "This is my brother; his household is just like ours! Get to know him and the lady here; they're from the Zhu family." She arranges for a manager from the rice shop, along with a clerk and a large cart, to accompany them to collect their salaries.

Zhu Ying collects this month's salary, already late in the month, and smoothly receives five strings of cash. She's reminded, "Remember, you're supposed to collect it in the early part of the month. Don't mix it up! This won't happen again!"

Zhu Ying responds with understanding and stows the money in the carriage. Zhang Xianjun and Zhu Da, having seen their share of the world, are not overwhelmed by the sight of five strings of cash. One stays with Mrs. Jin to learn the ropes, while the other stands guard by the carriage, unwilling to leave it unattended.

The rice shop's manager oversees the loading, making small talk with Zhu Ying, "Young master, you're quite accomplished for your age. Jin the Captain is from the external military camps, may I ask where you serve and what position you hold?"

Zhu Ying said, "Ah, what kind of official am I? Just a Reviewer at the Ministry of Justice."

The manager complimented her further: "To be in office at such a young age, your future is boundless!"

Zhu Ying smiled and replied, "I hope your kind words come true."

Zhu Ying, not having completed a full year in office, was entitled to fifty bushels of rice, which wasn’t much. The manager asked whether Zhu Ying wanted to convert it into new rice for account purposes, to be collected when needed, or convert it into money. Zhu Ying thought for a moment and said, "Let’s put it on account. My family will come to collect it later."

"Alright!"

The manager promptly wrote her a voucher and handed her a pair of tokens, explaining, "Keep one with you. When you come to collect, the two pieces together will allow you to do so." The voucher listed forty bushels of new rice, received at an eighty percent value.

With the business settled, Zhang Xianjun felt a pang of regret: ten bushels of rice, ten bushels, what’s wrong with old rice? That’s ten bushels!!! Enough for several months!

She almost wanted to scold her daughter but restrained herself in front of "outsiders," not wanting to embarrass her child who had become an official. She had to swallow her frustration, even offering a polite "Thank you!" Zhu Ying suggested treating them to a meal, but Lu Chao, seeing Zhang Xianjun's distress and sensing Zhu Da also had concerns, quickly offered, "I'll take you home, need to pick up Qi Lang as well." Mrs. Jin declined, citing evening commitments.

The three parted ways. Upon returning home, Zhu Ying faced her parents’ first complaints about her official decisions. Both Zhang Xianjun and Zhu Da thought this transaction was a loss. Just thinking about the ten bushels of grain made Zhang Xianjun's heart ache.

Zhu Da said, "I can dig and do carpentry and masonry. We can build our own storage and save a lot of grain."

Zhu Ying assured, "When have we ever had more than a bushel of grain at home? If not stored properly, grain can spoil! There are officials penalized every day for mishandling their grain. It's safer to leave it with them. Storing grain requires space, labor, and protection against theft and rodents. We'll just consume what we need, and take the slight loss. Next month brings another salary, and next year, more provisions."

Zhang Xianjun worried, "What if the store goes out of business?"

Zhu Ying confidently replied, "Even if they run to the ends of the earth, I'll drag them back. It's just forty bushels; don't worry."

Zhang Xianjun realized, "Right, you're an official! You can throw them in jail!"

Zhu Ying managed to convince her parents, suggesting, "Don't get up so early in the morning. Let's find a clean eatery in the neighborhood for breakfast, saving on firewood and water."

Zhang Xianjun was hesitant, but Zhu Da was enticed, asking, "What do you want to eat? I'll buy it early!"

Zhang Xianjun protested, "It's not easy earning money, and now you're splurging!"

After a brief quarrel, Zhang Xianjun, outnumbered, grudgingly conceded, "You Zhous stick together!"

Zhu Ying took out a string of cash for personal use, leaving the rest with her parents, stating, "I've kept some pocket money; the rest is for you to manage."

Zhang Xianjun said, "I'll save it for you. And remember, in the capital, social obligations for weddings and funerals are important. Your colleagues will have higher standards; we can't appear lacking. And you, old man, no wasteful spending! You're limited to one hundred cash a month. Last year at home, the whole family didn't even spend that much in a month!"

Thinking of her daughter's need to socialize, he agreed, "Alright."

Zhang Xianjun busily calculated, estimating a savings of three strings of cash each month, laughing, "That's thirty-six strings a year."

Zhu Ying added, "That’s without counting the rent."

Zhang Xianjun took a sharp breath, "That’s another twenty strings! Plus social obligations... So, do all officials in the capital just live off the wind?!"

Zhu Ying said, "Our family can't consume eighty bushels of rice in a year. Next year, we won't just exchange it all for rice; we'll also get some money. Plus, any other rewards, I'll save them up, and we can save some money that way."

Zhang Xianjun said, "That's good, that's good. You go to sleep, I'll go boil some water. Ah, life as an official isn't easy! Tomorrow, I'll buy some chicks. Leftover food can raise them, and once they start laying eggs, we won't need to buy eggs anymore..."

…………——

Zheng Xi gave Zhu Ying two days off, but she didn't stay home the next day, going back to the Ministry of Justice instead. After finishing her leave, she returned to her cases, contemplating which files to work on next.

The Assistant Judge, holding his forehead, asked, "Didn't you take two days off? Why are you here today? Couldn't you have stayed at home and relaxed for another day?"

Zhu Ying replied, "I couldn't sit still; it's quieter here."

The Assistant Judge, very unquietly, bombarded her with questions: "Did you get everything done? Did you buy the servant? What about bedding? Why didn’t you bring it over?"

Judge Wang also joined in, remembering something, "Did you manage your salary rice? I forgot to tell you, their rice isn’t very good."

Zhu Ying said, "Yes, it's old rice."

Judge Wang advised, "Don’t haul it all home. You should go to the rice shop to exchange it."

The Assistant Judge added, "Right! Why didn’t you ask us? Now you’ll have to hire a cart to take it there."

Zhu Ying stated, "It’s all taken care of, exchanged for tokens, at eighty percent."

The judges felt a bit embarrassed by her adept handling, commenting, "Young people get things done efficiently."

Zhu Ying modestly said, "I don’t really understand all of it; I left it to my mother to handle. From now on, we'll have new rice to eat every month."

Judge Wang shook his head, "The rice shop’s new rice won't be available until autumn. The rice you're eating now is still old but slightly better than what we get..."

A voice from the doorway joked, "The Ministry of Justice has turned into a cafeteria! Now we discuss food instead of cases!"

Pei Qing's glance swept through the room, and all the seasoned officials instantly snapped to attention, sitting upright with a stack of case files in front of each, uniformly greeting, "My lord."

Only Zhu Ying's desk was bare. Pei Qing, with a darkened face, asked, "Where are your case files? What have you been doing these days?!"

Zhu Ying replied, "I've been learning how to work."

Pei Qing inquired, "Have you learned?"

"Almost there."

Pei Qing said, "What 'almost'? What is the Ministry of Justice for? We handle major and crucial cases, affecting countless lives and honors! A slight mistake leads to huge errors! Your 'almost' could cause numerous calamities?!"

All the officials fell silent, wondering: What could have happened that he's taking it out on a child?

Zhu Ying thought the same; either Zheng Xi bullied Pei Qing, or Pei Qing had faced trouble elsewhere. Otherwise, given Pei Qing's last attitude towards her, he clearly didn't dislike her that much.

She stood up straight and said, "Understood, my lord."

"What have you understood? So frivolous at such a young age! How long have you been at the Ministry of Justice? And you took leave already! Going straight to Zheng Xi for approval!"

That roar could probably be heard three miles away!

As everyone was confused, Leng Yun suddenly appeared: "Old Pei, what's the matter? Just because you got impeached? Come on, let's figure something out and smooth this over!"

Pei Qing turned around, scolding Leng Yun without giving him any face: "Smooth over? Did you come to the Ministry of Justice to slack off? It's exactly this 'almost' and 'smoothing over' that led to today's disgrace! We've only been helping Zheng Xi in the Ministry of Justice for a few months, not yet commended, and already impeached by the censor!"

Oh, impeached by the censor, huh...

Zhu Ying thought, the censor must be really idle. Did Lord Pei get caught eating meat pies at the entrance of the Ministry of Justice?

The Assistant Judge and others became anxious; having experienced last year's accountability crisis in the Ministry of Justice, even he was detained for several days by the censor before being released.

Leng Yun remarked coolly, "If you had shown this spirit in the court just now, we wouldn't have been cornered and interrogated by those from the Censorate. It was Qi Lang who smoothed things over! Let's go! Qi Lang is calling. If you won't gloss it over, then come up with an explanation! Talk your way through the case!"

With that, he flicked his sleeve and strode off.

Pei Qing, with a grim face, followed him out.

The officials were left feeling uneasy. The Assistant Judge said, "I'll go ask Yang Liu for information; he's always well-informed!"